Swordsman
by Yellow-Sama
Summary: Their words hardly meant a thing to Squalo Superbi, age thirteen. He would rise up the ranks, become a warrior that everyone would recognize and come to fear. Oneshot. Contains a kinda character-study and a nameless OC.


Disclaimer: The series, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, is the work of Amano Akira.

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"Zanna di Squalo!" The glinting sword disappeared from sight, but in its place were the multiple thrusts of the thirteen year old boy's sword aimed to kill the person. They were swift yet wild movements like the snapping jaws of a great white shark. Drawing his wrist back, Squalo raises his arm and creates a huge arc motion, slicing down upon his opponent.

"_I heard he was a fencing prodigy?" One voice whispered to another as the boy with short white hair and a scowling expression walked down the halls of the school. _

_Another faceless voice hums before saying, "Really? I wouldn't have guessed." _

_Their words hardly meant a thing to Squalo Superbi, age thirteen. He would rise up the ranks, become a warrior that everyone would recognize and come to fear. _

The person evades the blow, parrying his sword with their own weapon and push upward. His grip lessened in that second and the blade flew upward out of his hands, landing a foot away behind him. Quickly shifting backward, his hand reaches to grasp the hilt of his blade, but they were quicker.

With the blade in their own hand, the person lunges forward with their wooden spear, knocking Squalo to the side whose face clearly expressed his disbelief.

_No one was able to defeat him. They challenged his skills every day, but try as they might, they always failed. _

_His father told him that although he felt that he was the strongest, he couldn't be farther from the truth. The humiliation Squalo felt from these words bit down on his pride, rendering his ego wounded. But, he couldn't stand to let his father's words get to him. No, he would rather fight, grow strong and prove him wrong. _

_He was a Superbi after all. _

"What technique was that?" Squalo was stunned for a few seconds, and they weren't going to give him the time to recover. Spinning the wooden stick with a sharp tipped end in their hands, the person raises it above their head. Although their attack appeared as gentle as the falling spring rain, it was more than just that. It felt like an icy cold blast of air, gnawing at the warmth hidden within a winter coat.

At the last moment before the strike landed, Squalo dodged rolled to the side, catching the hilt of his sword in his hand and immediately got to his feet. Readying his fighting stance, he rushed forward.

"_So, you're battling all our upperclassmen to duels? How many have you fought already?" A blonde boy lazily seats himself beside Squalo sitting on a bench in the outdoor courtyard of the school. His arms sprawled over the top of the bench whereas Squalo's posture was as straight as an arrow. _

_This was where many of the "battles" Squalo had took place. _

"_Nine," Squalo answered gruffly, sliding a cloth down the side of his blade and cleaned it of its impurities: dust, grime and speckles of red. _

"_That's practically everyone!" Dino Cavallone whistled in amazement. He didn't doubt in his friend's abilities, he was the talk of the school and was referred to becoming a great swordsman for any successful mafia famiglia to consider recruiting. On the other hand, he, himself, was a different story. _

_Dino asks, "Who're you challenging next?"_

_The answer immediately spilled from his lips, "Tora." _

The clash of the two weapons clatters loudly in the air and neither party was going to give an inch to the other. Evading each other's blows with quick footwork, trying to find an angle and pacing their time accordingly to hit an unexpected attack on their opponent, the person's eyes never left his.

The person catches the wide satisfied grin on his face.

Sure, this was a damn good fight. He was learning so much from watching them attack him.

"_Really," Dino was confused, "But he doesn't fight with a sword." _

_Squalo scoffs, "I know that he doesn't, but his sister does."_

"_Wait, wait, you mean…? You're gonna go fight her?" Dino's eyes bulged from it sockets. _

_Squalo snorts, a light blush covering the apples of his cheeks, "So? What's your point?"_

"_Huh," Dino took a pause, "So, that's how far you want to take this."_

_Squalo clicks his tongue, "Of course stupid, how else would I become stronger?" _

His limbs were beginning to become sore and he grits his teeth in frustration. Squalo didn't know if he was going to keep up for any longer. Glancing over at her, any sign of weariness was hidden but he could tell that the effect of a long drawn out fight was taking its toll on the girl as well.

As soon as her eyes locked onto his, he knew that he needed to end the fight quickly.

_The blaring music coming in from her headphones blocked out any ambient sounds from the outside. She glances over her shoulder to see the familiar white haired teen approach her, but she doesn't make the effort to take off her headphones. _

_He'd been coming to her for over a week or something, demanding that he fight against her to test his strength. But she could care less about proving that she was just as strong a swordsman as any other student of the school. _

_But he did. _

_He was obsessed with the thought of being the best._

_It was something she refused to understand. _

_His silver eyes glare down at her and his mouth is moving. He could tell that she was inept at reading lips because she turned your head away. He thought that she wondered if she ignored him now, then he'd surely give up. But he knew that she realized that he would continue to pester her. _

_Suddenly, he pulls her to the left and her face is mere centimetres away from Squalo's. His fingers grab onto her light blue headphones and yank it away. _

"_I said, I challenge you to a duel." _

_She doesn't respond. She leans forward so that her nose is touching his. He doesn't flinch at the proximity. Her fingers curl around her headphones and his grip lessens, allowing her to take it back. He watches her place them around her neck and lean back, settling into her seat by the large window sill in the library. _

"_Tomorrow, wait for me in the courtyard." He walks off once she gave him her response. _

By the end of it, it was a draw.

He was gasping for breath while she was leaning against her spear.

"Damn it," He growled under his breath, but she heard him.

"If you hate being defeated so much, become stronger than you are now." Her fingers push herr bangs away from her face.

The two of you were silent before he spoke again.

"That fighting style, what is it called?" She blinks and a small smile curls your lips.

"Why don't you go and find that out yourself?" She lifts up the wooden spear and place it over her shoulders, hooking her arms underneath it to keep it in place, leaving her hands to dangle next to her head.

He snorts, "I will."

He watches her back until he could no longer see her.

He had some studying to do.

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**Yellow-Sama says...** Something I wrote because I am stuck trying to write up the next chapter of Impalpable Attraction. I figure it would be fun to do a kinda "character-study" of Squalo since I've never tackled writing him until now. Funnily enough, this was going to be my "come-back" one-shot for my Faizilla account. Knowing Failzilla, I was unable to upload the story and decided to put it up here. I hope that this piece is an enjoyable enough read for you.


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